Weather
by kapers in pink
Summary: It seemed like a perfect day for a funeral.CedricHermione, a hint of HermioneRon


It seemed like it was a perfect day for a funeral. Raindrops hit the windows of the church with such a force that Hermione was afraid the drops were going to come in through the glass. The wind howled around the church tower, causing the large building to creek. She was huddled in her little room, her friends surrounding her and catering to her every whim. This was, after all, her wedding day.  
Then why did she feel like it was her funeral?  
Ronald would be a good husband, she knew that. But how could she be a good wife when her heart so clearly belonged to someone else? How did she get herself into this situation? Why did she agree to marry Ron to begin with? True, she had fancied him once, or at least she thought she had. But then their fourth year happened and everything changed. Harry's name had come out of the Goblet of Fire. Viktor Krum had asked her to the Yule ball. Cedric Diggory had almost died.  
After Cedric recovered from his attack, he and Hermione became quite good friends. She was able to talk to him about all of her problems, including her situation with Ron, and her conflicting feelings. Cedric had provided her with a companionship that Ron and Harry had never been able to provide. Cedric treated her like an equal, not like a sister he had to protect, not like someone who always had a quick answer. Cedric treated her like a person. And she loved him for that. She loved him for a lot of things.  
That rainy day at a small church in the middle of London, two lives were changed.

"I can't do this." Hermione suddenly said, turning to Ginny, her maid of honor.  
"Excuse me?" Ginny asked, mouth slightly open.  
"Ginny, I'm sorry. I can't marry Ron. I don't love him." She said. And for the first time in months, she felt free. Free from the lie she had been telling, free from her burden.  
"Wait, what?" Ginny said, confusion all over her face. "What do you mean you don't love him? You agreed to marry him!" Red was starting to flush her cheeks, and Hermione could tell she was getting angry.  
"Ginny, please go get Harry for me. I need to talk to him." Ginny glared at her as she turned to leave the small room at the back of the church.  
Hermione quickly scribbled down a quick note.  
Harry,  
Please understand, and hopefully you will more then anyone else. I can't go through with this. Please help Ron through this, I never meant to hurt him. I have to leave, and I don't know when I'll be back.  
Hermione

Before Ginny could return with Harry, Hermione ran out the back door and into the pouring rain. To her surprise, she ran into a solid form before she could get very far.  
"Pardon me!" She practically yelled, hoping the person could hear her over the rain. The water caused her dress to cling to her body, the veil sticking to her face.  
"Hermione, what are you doing out here?" A voice yelled back at her. She looked up into the steel blue eyes that were all too familiar.  
"Cedric?" She asked confused.  
"I'm sorry Hermione; I can't let you do it. I can't let you go through with this." He said, grabbing her face. "I love you too much to let you go!"  
Tears mingled with the rain on Hermione's face as she stared up at the face of the only man she had ever loved.  
"Cedric, I just left Ron at the alter. I'm not sure if they even know I'm gone yet. Ginny was furious when I told her that I could not marry her brother. I left Harry a note. I have to leave; I need to get away from this church!"  
"I'll go with you." For the first time, she actually looked at him. He looked miserable. It appeared as if he hadn't shaven or cut his hair in weeks. While he was wearing a tuxedo, he looked very poorly put together, his bow tie hanging crookedly around his neck.  
"Ced, what happened to you? You look miserable."  
"The moment you told Ron that you would marry him, well, that was the moment my world stopped."  
"Why didn't you say anything?" She yelled. The rain was coming down harder, and it was getting increasingly hard to hear him, let alone herself.  
"Because I wanted you to be happy. I didn't care about myself, only about you. But then I realized that I couldn't live without you. So I came here."  
"I was standing in that room preparing to walk down the isle and pledge myself to Ron until death do us part. And then I realized that I would never be a good wife to him, not when my heart belonged to you."

It had seemed like the perfect day for a funeral, and it almost was. For Hermione, marrying a man she couldn't love was almost worse then a funeral. Ron would be heartbroken, but she knew that one day he would forgive her. One day everything would be alright. But until then, she'll just have to wait, and pray for that break in the weather.


End file.
